Resource Guide
Common SIF Errors and Practical Fixes
Most submission failures come from repeatable field and consistency issues. Treat this as a triage checklist.
Frequent structural errors
- Incorrect employer identifier length or format.
- Missing required employee fields.
- Invalid routing code format.
Financial consistency errors
- Row salary totals do not match declared file totals.
- Salary month mismatch between records and summary line.
- Unexpected currency code values.
Fix workflow
- Correct the data source first, then rebuild the file.
- Re-run validation and confirm the exact error code is resolved.
- Keep a short error log for recurring issues and prevention.
FAQ
Should we patch files manually?
Avoid manual patching where possible; fix source data and regenerate to preserve audit traceability.
Why do errors repeat month to month?
Usually because source templates or review controls are inconsistent across payroll cycles.
What should be escalated first?
Errors that block submission or change salary totals should be escalated before warnings.
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